US3896496A

US3896496A - Interchangeable lens ski goggle

Info

Publication number: US3896496A
Application number: US465401A
Authority: US
Inventors: Conrad Leblanc; Vitalino Marchi
Original assignee: Foster Grant Co Inc
Current assignee: Foster Grant Co Inc
Priority date: 1974-04-29
Filing date: 1974-04-29
Publication date: 1975-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1992-07-29

Abstract

An interchangeable lens goggle including novel lens mounting means which provide for ease of lens interchangeability and superior protection to the wearer while participating in active sports.

Description

United States Patent Leblanc et al.

[451 July 29,1975

INTERCHANGEABLE LENS SKI GOGGLE Inventors: Conrad Leblanc, Leominster;

Vitalino Marchi, Concord, both of Mass.

Foster Grant Co., Inc., Leominster, Mass.

Filed: Apr. 29, 1974 Appl. No.: 465,401

Assignee:

U.S. Cl. 2/14 D; 2/14 H Int. CI. A61F 9/02 Field of Search 2/14 D, 14 H, 14 R, 14 A,

2/14 B, 14 C, 14 G, 14 L References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Gay, Jr. et a1. 2/14 D 2,700,765 2/1955 Hoffmaster 2/14 R 2,706,815 4/1955 Parmelee 2/l4 D 3,233,249 2/1966 Baratelli et a1 2/14 R 3,363,262 1/1968 Lindblom 2/14 D FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 511,295 5/1952 France 2/l4 D Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder Assistant Examiner-Peter Nerbun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Leonard S. Selman [57] ABSTRACT An interchangeable lens goggle including novel lens mounting means which provide for ease of lens interchangeability and superior protection to the wearer while participating in active sports.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATEN JUL29I975 TED 3,896,496

INTERCHANGEABLE LENS SKI GOGGLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an interchangeable lens goggle especially suitable for active sports such as skiing and motorcycling. In such activities a pair of goggles serves the purpose of protecting the eyes and covered portion of the wearers face from wind, rain, and snow as well as affording some protection from flying mud and pebbles and rocks often encountered in cycling, for example. Further in case of an accident the goggle lens being preferably made of a strong polycarbonate material could withstand the impact of striking an object such as the hard ground or a rock or tree or a portion of a motorcycle.

To give longer life to the goggles in case the lens portion thereof is damaged and to provide a choice of various kinds of lenses such as amber and yellow tints or polarized, non-polarized and fog-free type lenses, means are provided on the goggles to make the lens interchangeable. An important feature of the goggles is the special structure of such interchangeable lens means which provide for both ease in interchangeability of lenses while at the same time providing a stronger support around the periphery of the lens so that the lens is supported in a manner to provide the protection needed as explained above.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus it is an object of this invention to provide an interchangeable lens goggle which is comfortable to wear and provides superior protection to the wearer while participating in active sports.

It is a further object of the invention to provide interchangeable lens means which provide for ease in changing lenses while firmly holding the lenses in place on the goggle and supporting the lens at its periphery.

Pursuant to the above objects the goggle includes a molded face mask portion which is molded of a flexible rubber-like material. The portion of the face mask which engages the face may have soft cushioning material thereon to provide comfort and conform to the facial structure of the wearer. The face mask is held onto the head of the wearer preferably by elastic strap means which connect to the ends of the mask. To provide for interchangeably mounting a lens in the lens receiving opening in the face mask a rigid member, preferably of a hard plastic material, is mounted in the opening extending substantially completely therearound. At opposing ends of the rigid member a pair of spaced upstanding lugs each having an overhanging lip and lens receiving groove thereunder is provided. The interchangeable lenses are provided with openings in each of the ends thereof so that the openings may be slipped over the lugs and manually forced over the lip means so that a portion of the lens bordering each of the openings is received in the lens receiving groove of each lug. Thus the lenses are prevented from slipping off the lugs unless forcibly deflected to pass by the lip means by one wishing to interchange the goggle lens with another. It is an important feature that when the lens is in its mounted position substantially all of its peripheral edge is in contact with the rigid mounting member supported by the face mask which provides for the desirable stronger lens support of the inventive goggle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are more fully described in the following specification to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the goggles embodying the invention showing a lens mounted in its operative position on the flexible cushioned face mask.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the goggles with the lens removed to show the rigid mounting member and the lens mounting means thereon.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end portion of a lens engaged by the lens mounting means on each end of the rigid mounting member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, of the lens mounting means and lens engaged thereby.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated generally at 10 and comprises a flexible molded face mask 12 which is strapped to conform to the face of a wearer having a portion which outlines the nose and an upper portion which presses against the brow portion of the face. Soft cushioning foam strips 15 are adhered to the face contacting portions of the mask to provide comfort and a snug fit of the mask against the face. Strap openings at the end portions 16 of the mask allow a stretchable strap 18 to be threaded therethrough which extends around the head of the wearer to hold the face mask thereon. To prevent fogging of the lens, especially under cold weather conditions vent opening 20 are provided at spaced positions on the top and bottom of the face mask.

To provide for mounting the interchangeable lenses in position covering the lens opening in the face mask a rigid mounting member 22 best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing is provided. The rigid mounting member is preferably made of a rigid plastic material such as polycarbonate. It is mounted on the face mask in this preferred embodiment in a quite unique manner, by molding the face mask material therearound which grips and holds the embedded rigid member perfectly in place. The face mask is preferably molded of a styrene butadiene block copolymer marketed under the trademark Kreton by Shell Chemical Company, Houston, Tex. The Kreton is molded around the rigid mounting member 22 which is preformed and supported in the mold while the Kreton in a melted form is poured into the mold surrounding the edge of number 22. Upon setting of the Kreton the material because of its gripping characteristic will hold the member 20 in place and will not separate therefrom.

As especially shown in FIG. 2 the rigid mounting member 20 preferably extends entirely around the periphery of the lens opening in the face mask 12. Thus it provides a rigid surface for engaging the periphery of an interchangeable lens to be mounted thereon.

To provide for-receiving the interchangeable lenses at each end of the rigid mounting member 22 is providing lens mounting means 24 which is shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4. The lens mounting means comprise an upstanding integrally molded lug 26. At the end of the lug is an overhanging lip 28 and there is thus provided a lens receiving groove 30 under each lip 28. The interchangeable lenses 32 each have an opening 34 at each end thereof. The spacing of the lugs 26 and engaging openings 34 in the lenses are such that the lugs hold the lenses tightly in position on the rigid mounting member. The lenses are mounted as especially shown in FIG. 4 by slipping each of the openings 34 over the lens receiving lugs and forcing the opening over the overhanging lip 28 thereof so that a portion of the lens bordering each of the opening is received in the lens receiving groove and prevented by the lip from slipping off the lugs. If one wishes to remove the lens he must deflect the lens and mask enough to slip the lens opening 34 by the overhanging lip 28 on each lug at the opposing ends of the rigid mounting member 22.

To aid in centering the lens in its proper position to be mounted on the mounting means 24 a pair of forward extending projections 36 are located centrally on the upper and lower portions of member 22 as shown in FIG. 1. Small openings 38 are provided in the lens 32 which slip over the projections 36 when mounting the lens on the rigid member.

Thus the objects of the invention are achieved by the described goggle structure as shown and described which cooperate in a novel manner to achieve the desired result.

We claim:

1. A pair of interchangeable lens goggles comprising;

a. a flexible face mask for engaging the wearers face having a lens opening;

b. a separate rigid plastic mounting member supported by said flexible face mask and extending substantially completely around the periphery of said lens opening therein, a portion of said separate rigid plastic mounting member being embedded in the flexible face mask substantially completely around the periphery of said lens opening, said separate rigid plastic mounting member having a further portion extending inwardly of said lens opening in said flexible face mask providing a continuous rigid supporting surface upon which a lens may be mounted before the wearers eyes, said rigid member having a locking means thereon for directly engaging a lens and maintaining it in its supported position while allowing removal of the lens when it is desired to interchange the lens with another; c. a transparent lens having means formed therein to engage said locking means on said rigid member, said lens when locked in its operative position having its entire outer edge portion overlapping and being rigidly supported only by said separate rigid plastic member, and; means engaging the wearers head for holding said face mask thereagainst. 2. The goggles of claim 1 wherein:

said locking means on said rigid mounting member supported by said face mask comprises a pair of upwardly extending lugs spaced a predetermined distance from one another on opposite end portions of said rigid membeneach of said lugs having an overhanging lip on said rigid member and a lens receiving groove under said lip; and said lens includes a pair of spaced openings on said ends thereof whereby said openings in said lens are slipped over said lugs and manually forced over said overhanging lip so that portions of said lens bordering each of said openings are received in said lens receiving grooves on said lugs and are prevented by said overhanging lip from slipping off said lugs unless forceably deflected past said lip by one wishing to interchange the goggle lens with another.

3. The goggles of claim 2 including at least one projection extending forwardly from the central portion of said rigid member and an opening in the lens which slip over said projection to aid in centering the lens in its proper operative position on said face mask.

4. The goggles of claim 3 including a pair of forwardly extending projection on said rigid member, one extending from the upper central portion of said rigid member and one extending from the lower central portion of said rigid member and a pair of openings in said lens each of which slip over one of said projections to aid in centering the lens in its proper operative position on said face mask.

5. The goggles of claim 1 wherein the means engaging the wearers head for holding said face mask thereagainst comprises a stretchable strap attached to opposing ends of said face mask.

Claims

1. A pair of interchangeable lens goggles comprising; a. a flexible face mask for engaging the wearer''s face having a lens opening; b. a separate rigid plastic mounting member supported by said flexible face mask and extending substantially completely around the periphery of said lens opening therein, a portion of said separate rigid plastic mounting member being embedded in the flexible face mask substantially completely around the periphery of said lens opening, said separate rigid plastic mounting member having a further portion extending inwardly of said lens opening in said flexible face mask providing a continuous rigid supporting surface upon which a lens may be mounted before the wearer''s eyes, said rigid member having a locking means thereon for directly engaging a lens and maintaining it in its supported position while allowing removal of the lens when it is desired to interchange the lens with another; c. a transparent lens having means formed therein to engage said locking means on said rigid member, said lens when locked in its operative position having its entire outer edge portion overlapping and being rigidly supported only by said separate rigid plastic member, and; d. means engaging the wearer''s head for holding said face mask thereagainst.

2. The goggles of claim 1 wherein: a. said locking means on said rigid mounting member supported by said face mask comprises a pair of upwardly extending lugs spaced a predetermined distance from one another on opposite end portions of said rigid member, each of said lugs having an overhanging lip on said rigid member and a lens receiving groove under said lip; and b. said lens includes a pair of spaced openings on said ends thereof whereby said openings in said lens are slipped over said lugs and manually forced over said overhanging lip so that portions of said lens bordering each of said openings are received in said lens receiving grooves on said lugs and are prevented by said overhanging lip from slipping off said lugs unless forceably deflected past said lip by one wishing to interchange the goggle lens with another.